News and reports

On Monday 19th July, the UK Government lifted most COVID-19 restrictions in England. This has been called ‘Freedom Day’ by some people. So, what has changed, and how will this affect hospitals, GP practices, and other health services in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea?

It has now been over a year since the first nationwide lockdown in the UK. While the UK was facing its biggest public health emergency in a generation, established working practices and patient engagement approaches had to be altered and new ideas had to be put in place. With our office closed, and some of our colleagues working virtually from as far away as Greece and Bulgaria, we had to adapt quickly. In this piece, two members of our team reflect on the last year and what they have learnt.

As the NHS moves more services online, we have been speaking to local patients, residents, and carers about how well digital tools work for them

On Saturday 10 July, the Voice Exchange project will be hosting their next virtual drop-in session. This is an open discussion where you can share your thoughts and suggestions about local mental health services in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea.

The theme of this year’s report is ‘Then and Now’.  It’s been designed to highlight how our work in 2020-21 has helped local patients, residents, and carers engage with changes to health and social care provision during the pandemic.

The NHS is currently following a digital first strategy. From GP appointments to physiotherapy, many services are being moved online. Accessing services online is often called ‘digital health’.

We are committed to equality, inclusion, and fairness. We are opposed to all forms of racism, discrimination, and prejudice.

We have played a key role in keeping local people up to date with reliable information, linking them to sources of help and support, and countering misinformation.

How we have made health and care better by listening to residents, patients, & carers.

We received patients feedback that some GP practice websites are difficult to navigate or it is hard to find the right information. Many of them are clutered with pop ups and the CQC ratings are not clearly displayed or are not up to date.

In January 2020, we launched our Small Grants Programme – a first of its kind project for our organisation. We wanted to reach people in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea who find it hardest to be heard in conversations about health and social care. We awarded the recipients of our grant £500 to complete engagement with groups from these communities.

We have published a COVID-19 insight report in collaboration with LEGS. The report highlights the impact of COVID-19 on those who have had a stroke or who are living with a neurological condition.